“We were lucky enough to exchange vows and celebrate with friends and family in three different ceremonies between Canada and Brazil, but that’s a story for another day! The first celebration was in Elora, Ontario, followed by a traditional Brazilian wedding in São Paulo which involved an intimate catholic ceremony that preceded another full wedding. For many reasons, this meant I got to wear three different wedding dresses. After nearly a decade together, it was incredibly special to get to celebrate our marriage with all of our loved ones near and far, and we are so grateful for the various opportunities to bring our extended families together. If we had to sum up how we felt across our wedding days in one word, it would have to be “loved”!

I had the honour of wearing my grandmother’s wedding gown at our traditional Catholic ceremony, but I found BOTH of my other two gowns at Sash & Bustle. We opted for a quick 6 month engagement, and with three ceremonies and celebrations, it meant a lot of quick decisions had to be made and dresses had to be rush-ordered ASAP. I like to take my time with big decisions, but Sash & Bustle’s collection made it so simple to pick a dress. Despite living 90 min away, I made Sash & Bustle my first stop because I’ve been in love with the designer Truvelle ever since seeing an influencer wear one of their gowns years ago (before we were even engaged). I had also been following S&B on socials and was extremely impressed by their positivity and inclusivity. When I took a quick peek at Truvelle’s 2023 collection, I knew right away I needed to try on the Pandora gown. I wanted a dress that was romantic and ethereal, yet effortless and comfortable. I wanted to feel like a bride while still feeling and looking like myself. I still can’t believe I said yes to the first dress I tried on! The best part was that this easy decision made every subsequent wedding decision so much simpler by inspiring the romantic, ethereal vibe for the wedding, which was expertly pulled off by Laura Olsen Events and Forever Wildfield.

When it came time to look for a dress for the Brazilian wedding, I was very decision-fatigued and it was overwhelming to consider all the possibilities for a second dress and wedding venue. There is a lot of FOMO in picking a wedding dress because the possibilities are truly infinite. While I certainly recognize the privilege of purchasing two dresses, it was still a big decision and investment I didn’t want to regret. One thing I really appreciated with the S&B team through my visits was how they asked thoughtful questions about how I felt and what I liked in a dress to help guide my decision-making and narrow things down. I visited a few other boutiques, but the selection, culture and experience at S&B was incomparable. Ultimately, I said my second “yes” to the first runner up from my first visit to S&B, the iconic Dove Empire by Rachel Rose Bridal. It was the perfect classic yet bold and romantic look to go with the colourful botanical vibe of our Brazilian wedding. 

I am forever grateful to S&B for making one of the biggest decisions of wedding planning so enjoyable and seamless, especially with a relatively short timeline! I can confidently say I have no regrets in my dress choices, but don’t ask me to choose a favourite!”

– Real Bride Allie

Bride is wearing Pandora from @truvelle + Dover Empire from @rachelrosebridal
Bride: @allisonbeeby_
Planner: @lauraolsenevents
Makeup: @christinapfaffmakeup
Photography: @kat.arndtphotogaphy
Photography: @mayerfotograf